Danelle Hamman Grade 12 Poetry

[ terminology: ]


Simile: Dramatic irony:

A comparison using the words “as or like”  When an audience already knows
something that the characters are
Metaphor: unaware of at the time.
A comparison without using “as” or “like”.  E.g., in horror movies, the viewers
The comparison is implied rather than already know the killer is near the
stated. characters but the characters are
unaware.
Personification:
Human qualities are given to inanimate Satire:
objects, lifeless things or animals. Used to highlight, expose, ridicule human,
social and political weaknesses or
Antithesis: stupidities. Satirists aim to change a
 Words/phrases/sentences are strongly situation through humor.
balanced against each other.
 E.g., He is a mouse in stature (small Synecdoche:
physique) but he is a lion in strength  A part is used for a whole, or a whole
(he is strong) is used for a part
 E.g., South Africa won the rugby world
Paradox: cup, it wasn’t the whole country only
 A seemingly absurd or contradictory the team.
statement which when analyzed is
found to be true. Metonymy:
 E.g., to kill someone with kindness  Something represents an object
 E.g., the throne = represents the
Oxymoron: power to rule
 The deliberate combination of words
that seem to mean the opposite of Alliteration:
each other, placed directly next to The repetition of consonant sounds at
each other. This creates a powerful the beginning of words
image.
 E.g. painful pride Assonance:
The repetition of vowel sounds (they
Situational irony: must sound the same), to create a
 When the exact opposite happens of mood of speed, vitality, joy or suspense.
what is expected. Long vowel sounds slow down the pace
 E.g., the driving instructor causes an and temper of the mood.
accident.
Onomatopoeia:
Sarcasm:  A word that imitates the natural of
One thing is said but another is intended, real-life sound of a thing
used to hurt, insult and humiliate  E.g., the cat hissed

Rhyme:
Depends on sound rather than the
written word, for effect

1
 Danelle Hamman Grade 12 Poetry

Rhythm: Innuendo
The beat and pace of a poem. Created  A disapproving remark which hints at
by the pattern of stressed and something without saying it directly
unstressed syllables in a line or verse.  E.g., Do you possess a clothing brush?
Rhythm can help strengthen the meaning (Meaning you look scruffy)
of words and ideas in a poem
Pun
Inversion: Clever play on words that sound alike
The normal order of words and phrases but different meanings. Through the
are reversed/changed, to acquire double meaning, humor is conveyed.
rhythm or rhyme.
Rhetorical question
Enjambment: Expects no answer, used to make a point
One line carries into the next without or strengthen a message, it allows
punctuation. Assists with the flow of the reader or audience to focus and to
poem. consider the question.

Elision: Tautology
The omission of sounds or syllables and  The repetitive use of words or
replacing them with an apostrophe. To phrases with similar meanings. It is
acquire rhythm expressing the same thing or an idea
more than once.
Repetition:  E.g., An armed gunman
 Words or phrases are repeated.
Emphasis on something/to point Litotes:
something out/to show deeper  Understatement is used to emphasize
meaning. a point by stating a negative to
 E.g., Deeper and deeper affirm a positive
 E.g., It’s not rocket science, to show
Apostrophe that it isn’t difficult
 An abstract idea/inanimate
object/person who is no longer living is Allusion:
being addressed/spoken to as if it  Alluding to a person, place, historical
were human event, the Bible, works of literature
 E.g., please lady luck help us. etc. outside of the poem or story to
create an image (refers to…)
Euphemism:  Basically, Afr. se intertekstuele
 Stating something that is unpleasant verwysings.
or uncomfortable in a more sensitive,  Okay, Romeo. (The Shakespeare’s
kind and tactful manner. To soften Romeo in ‘Romeo and Juliet’)
the blow/protect feelings/to be
politically correct. Caesura
 E.g., He kicked the bucket (he died) A natural pause in the middle of a line of
poetry due to the natural reading
Hyperbole: rhythm, or punctuation. Can be indicated
 Exaggeration or when a situation is by commas, semi-colons, full-stop or ll.
overstated Adds to the rhythm. Plural - Caesurae
 E.g., I’m so hungry I could eat an
elephant

2
 Danelle Hamman Grade 12 Poetry

[ sonnet 73 ]
By William Shakespeare

Line nine to twelve

Background on Shakespeare  The fire goes out when the wood which
 Born on 23rd April 1564 has been feeding it is consumed
 Died on 23rd April 1616  So, life is extinguished when the
 Married Anne Hathaway strength of youth passes
 Expert at writing sonnets (154)  Winter follows spring, spring follows
Structure or Format of sonnet winter – seasons are cyclical, but
 14 lines (sonnet always has 14 lines) human life is not
 Rhyme Scheme: abab cdcd efef gg – 3  Youth will not come again for the
quatrains and 1 rhyming couplet speaker
 Lines 1-12 – Theme is presented and Line thirteen to fourteen
developed  The speaker is relieved that the
 Lines 13-14 – Conclusion is drawn from listener loves him even more because
first 12 lines of the aging process
 Iambic pentameter – U/ U/ U/ U/ U/  The speaker no longer has a feeling of
U = soft syllable, / = hard syllable loss, rather, the mood of depression is
 This is a Shakespearean/Elizabethan removed
sonnet  The possibility of dying emphasizes the
1. Format: 3 quatrains and a rhyming need to love even more than before
couplet Tone
2. Rhyme Scheme: abab cdcd efef gg The sonnet is introspective (to reflect
3. The theme presented in the first back on your life): the speaker is slowly
twelve lines and the conclusions is coming to terms with the reality of the
found in the rhyming couplet finality of his age and his impermanence
4. The sonnet is written in iambic in time.
pentameter
The tone of pensiveness and
Summary mournfulness because of the speaker’s
Line one to four approaching death
 The nature of old age is harsh and
empty In line 5-6 his tone is one of gloom and
 Time is a destructive force melancholy (feelings of depression). The
 The cycle of aging is compared to the speaker is almost becoming depressed as
seasons his life is moving towards its end
 The speaker anticipates his own decay
In lines 11 and 12, there is a tone of
 He will appear as pale and dry as the
distress and despondency (hopelessness –
world in a cold, biting winter
his life is ending) as the speaker’s
Line five to eight youthful energy and vitality have
 The speaker feels troubled as aging is the
end of a cycle
consumed him and he nears his death.
 They cycle of aging is compared to The tone changes to one of resignation
moments of a day (acceptance): as the ashes eventually
 Night is compared to death snuffs out the fire, it can never be lit
 As death approves the tone becomes one again. The speaker has lived his life
of gloom and melancholy
 The speaker feels depressed

3
 Danelle Hamman Grade 12 Poetry
However, in line 13 and 14 the tone changes  As one grows older one longs for
from depression to consolation bygone years
(accepted, comfortable, ready). The  Age brings a sense of peace and calm
speaker has made peace with his  The speaker brings a sense of peace
approaching death and comfort lies and calm
there in that because his friend loves  The speaker compares himself to a
him despite his aging, his sense of loss is tree in late autumn which reveals to
gone and the mood of depression is age
removed. (Question – how does the tone  Initially the leaves shake with cold
change at the end of the poem?) indicating that the speaker is not
ready for winter yet
Symbolism  When the birds sit on the bare
The tree branches and sing in the ruins of a
 The tree is a symbol of life and growth church, the speaker mourns the loss
 The physical changes in the trees as of his youthful appearance
winter sets in reflect how the  The absence of the leaves intensifies
speaker’s body is deteriorating and the peace and quiet which comes with
death is approaching, just like trees old age
when autumn approaches (leaves fall) Death
Night and day  The speaker seems to be haunted by
 Light is a symbol for life and hope the inevitable reality of death
 Darkness is a symbol for death which  There are many metaphors referring
slowly takes away life to death
 Night is compared to death  The last moments of the speaker’s
Fire life are compared to twilight and
 The fire resembles youth and vitality fading sunsets which eventually leads
and its passionate desires to darkness
 As death approaches, the fire burns  A beautiful life comes to an end when
out and only a bed of ashes remains the fire has been snuffed out and lies
 Fire = youth, vitality softly glowing on a bed of embers. This
 When the fire cools/death (ashes) = resembles a youthful life well lived
death
Love
 His energy fired his passion, but it  Love is limited by morality and nature
wore him out, leading to his death. (when a person dies, their love also
 The speaker’s youthful energy and dies)
vitality have consumed him as he  Love is discussed in relation to the
nears death cycle of life: life is short, it may be
Themes too late to enjoy this emotion
Aging  The speaker advises the reader to fall
 Aging is a natural and inevitable in love as often as possible and to love
 The speaker explores what it feels like when possible
to get older and face the reality
death
 The speaker explores the effects of
time on his physical health and his
mental fear as he moves further
from youth and closer to death

4
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

1 That time of year thou mayst in me behold Metaphor – That time of year is
a metaphor for old age. A time
in a person’s life when death is
inevitable. Cannot avoid death

Apostrophe – Shakespear is
directly addressing his friend.

2 When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Metaphor – for autumn. Aging is
similar to that time of the year,
when leaves have almost
completely fallen, the weather is
colder, the birds have left their
branches. It emphasizes the
harshness and emptiness of
winter, there for it is a good
comparison for old age.

3 Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Branches – they shake against
the ruins of the church,
Symbolism: trees, symbolizes
growth and life, the tree loses
its leaves as the branches shake
against the church

4 J Bare ruined choirs where the late J sweet birds Alliteration “B” & “S”–
sang. emphasizes the emptiness of
the new season, it is cold and
without joy (“sweet” L4) nothing
that is too sweet Because of
the cold, the “sweet birds”
aren’t chirping anymore

Metaphor for the ruined church

where choirs used to sing and
also the “sweet birds” also sang
there, but now only the howling
wind “sings”.

Metonymy – “choirs” – We
associate choirs to people
singing in church

J - Antithesis – the ruined quiet

church (Quiet) is in contrast
with the birds that brought joy
long ago (loud chirping). It is no
longer there since the season
has changed

5
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
5 In me thou seest the twilight of such day Metaphor – The process of aging
is compared to twilight

Twilight – the moment at the

end of the day, before darkness
sets in

Symbolism – Light and darkness,

life and death

6 As after sunset fadeth in the west, L5+6 – Simile – Just as the sun
fades and night approaches, so
does the speaker’s youth fade,
as death gradually approaches.

Quatrain 1: Season & Quatrain 2:

day – it shows the speed with
which aging affects the body

7 Which by and by black night doth take away, Alliteration – emphasizes death
is fast approaching, it is
inevitable.

Metaphor – for death. It

emphasizes the gradual fading
of youth, is compared to
twilight that shifts into night,
just as the night ends the day,
so does death end life.

8 Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. Links with Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2

Personification – (capital letter)

Night is compared to death/
night is the reflection of death.
So, one is the image of the
other. (Sleep resembles death)

Metaphor – Sleep is the death

of each day, eternal sleep/rest
= the end of life

Alliteration:” S”– Stresses that

death is inevitable and final

9 In me thou seest the glowing of such fire Metaphor – the glowing embers
resembles the youth that has
passed. Youth will soon become
consumed and become ashes

10 That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, Metaphor for youth that has
passed

6
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
11 As the deathbed whereon it must expire, Metaphor – the all-consuming
fire dies, all energy is spent,
there is nothing left.

12 J Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by J Metaphor – the fire which
sparked his energy and vitality
has now consumed him, since he
has reached the end of his life.

Irony – This fire/passion that

person had is now fading away

L9-12 – Extended metaphor –

This time of his life is compared
to a dying fire that only glows; it
doesn’t burn brightly. The bed of
ashes that the fire is on, is like
it's deathbed where it will soon
die

L9-12 – Tone of resignation – The

ashes eventually snuff out the
fire, it can never be lit again.
Tone of distress and
despondency, physically his
youthful energy has consumed
him and death approaches. The
speaker has now fully accepted
that this is what has to happen.

J Antithesis – Winter follows

spring, spring follows winter, but
not in human life. The fading of
warm and life is not cyclical,
youth will not come again for
the speaker, but there is an
acceptance here.

13 This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more Metaphor – the process of aging
strong, is compared to the demise of
youth and passion. Youth and
passion don’t last, they end.

Apostrophe – the speaker

addressed his friend who sees
these things about the speaker,
but that only makes him love
the speaker more. It calms the
speaker

Usually = “Stronger” – This

emphasizes the possibility of

7
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
dying. Old age = emphasizes the
need to love even more than
before

14 To love that well which thou must leave ere long. Metaphor – Speaker’s desires =
he can love better

Alliteration “L” – The strong,

positive emotion of love is
emphasized

Tone changes from depression

to one of consolation/comfort:
Because the friend loves him
despite his aging, his sense of
loss is gone and the mood of
depression is removed

8
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

[ What life is really like ]

By Beverly Roycroft

About the poet As the enjambment and colloquial words

Born in 1959, eastern Cape come together is stresses a
Was a teacher before becoming a full- conversational tone, since words like
time writer “toughen up” and “life’s a bastard”
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, mimics natural speech.
had a massive impact on her The lack of punctuation and the use of

This poem deals with her relationship italics shows that her father’s direct
with her father words have been told so many times,
He was a university professor, who that it has become a part of her mind.
knew that the world is an unkind place She can clearly remember these words,
He urges her to “toughen up” thus the “” are removed and words are
Her father was a complex individual made italic. This stresses that she can
He was a broad-minded person, who remember her father’s anger and
could recognise his own imperfections impatience, when she remembers the
He wanted to teach her about life and word “really” (that is said in bold)
expose her to real-life experiences In line 35, she has gone through breast

At the end of poem, he becomes silent cancer, and had a mastectomy, the
and reflective when he is exposed to tone changes from caution to one of
her suffering, now he has to do the gentleness.
“toughening up” In stanza 7 the tone of caution
changes to one of acceptance and
Format resignation. Her father realises she has
8 stanzas = 43 lines varying in length experienced enough of life’s harshness,
Blank verse, also called free verse she had toughened up. Life had hit her
Lyric = a personal experience being really hard, and now he steps up and
talked about helps her through the healing process.
Enjambment = speeds up the poem,
there is little tie to stop, and many Themes
lessons need to be learnt Cruelty
Stanza 6, stand-alone line = emphasises Thislinks with a paradox: he has to be
the contrast between the father who cruel to be kind
has always urged her to toughen up, Father believes that life is cruel
now he must toughen up to help her He wants to expose her to these cruel
through her recovery from breast and harsh things of life: (chickens heads
cancer and a mastectomy. are chopped off in front of her & he
forces her to hold the injured pigeons
Tone as he stitches them)
Atthe beginning of the poem the
father is speaking in a tone of caution Fate
and anger or impatience. It shows that We cannot change our destiny/fate,
the speaker needs to toughen up in what will be will be
order to survive in the harsh and cruel He prepares his daughter from a young
world age to be ready for life’s cruelties

9
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
She must toughen up, but in the end father is there to help her and gently
after her diagnosis, he is shocked and helps her with her recovery until she
realises that she has indeed toughened heals. Here he is loving and caring,
up despite him having her toughen up all
He has to toughen up and help her heal these years.
Fate is compared to a hawk/bird of
prey that stalks her/watches over her. Illness
The speaker has to face a frightening
This causes her to live in anticipation
illness (breast cancer and mastectomy)
and she flinches in this anticipation of
She has toughened up, and her father is
what will eventually happen. Fate circles
there to help her heal
around her, just as the hawk circles
around the pigeons and eventually Facing morality
catches one. Being diagnosed with cancer is
frightening and shocking
Resilience and psychology of
It would be regarded as a death
growing up sentence of a sort
Father creates opportunities where she
She has been expecting this for all her
is faced with the harshness & realities
life, since her dad told her to expect it
of life, so that she becomes resilient
from a young age.
and she can quickly recover from set
Her life has changed
backs
She instantly toughens up, just like her
She eventually becomes tired of living in
father wanted, and undergoes surgery
anticipation, waiting for life to hit her
She has a positive outcome and her
with its cruelties.
father is there to help her recover
Family relationships Hope of recovery
The relationship between the father
Her determination has given her the
and daughter is exposed
strength to toughen up without any
@ beginning he is a harsh figure of
self-pitying and crying
authority, who is impatient with his
She faces the illness head on
naïve daughter
Her father will help her
He is abrupt (kort af) and rough when
He has prepared her for this moment
he gives her instructions
She does not want to disappoint him, so
Title
she meekly listens (in a submissive It implies that many people have the
manner). wrong idea of life. It isn’t just fun; it
He expects her to face and confront
can catch you off-guard if you are not
these harsh realities so that she can prepared.
toughen up and become resilient against Her father wants to expose her to
the harshness of life (like the injured suffering, pain and death, so that she
pigeon who was faced to the harsh will be prepared for the inevitable
reality) realities, to make her stronger.
Life hits her hard in the form of
Ensuring that she has the best chance
breast cancer and mastectomy, the of survival

10
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
1 You need to toughen up Tone of seriousness & caution,
she can expect life to be tough

Diction (choice of words) – italics

are done in the place of inverted
commas. This implies his words
are part of her memory. Lack
of punctuation, emphasizes the
loaded emotion of
determination.

Toughen up – means to become

hardened to the way of the
world. Becoming less emotional
to pain and suffering.

2 My father would complain She experiences his advice as a

complaint/annoyance since she is
innocent and naïve. Her father
seems hard, even cruel.
3 When I was small
4 I ought to take you to see The strong advice suggests the
father is determined that his
young daughter must “toughen
up” to face the world

“ought” – implies it is necessary.

It could be a good thing, but it
also implies he never takes her
to witness the death of the
chickens. This is also paradoxical
behaviour, he is being cruel to be
kind, underneath his roughness,
he has a gentle love for his
daughter. He wants her to
survive.

Alliteration “t” – the harsh and

angry sound emulates/copies
the angry voice of her father

5 Chickens having their heads Alliteration “ch” – emphasises

the harshness and cruelness of
real-life situations
6 Chopped off.
7 That’d teach you “teach” – he wants her to be
exposed to real-life experiences.
This implies him wanting her to
learn real life lessons

11
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
8 What life is really like. Bold – It emphasises the
message that the needs to
learn various lessons to face
the world head on. It also shows
that she remembers her
father’s angry tone when he
said it.

Irony – Normally little girls are

told fairy tales and they are
protected from the cruel world,
they are also protected from
death, but her father wants her
to be ready for life.

Enjambement throughout the

whole poem: this speeds up the
pace to create a feeling of
breathlessness, there is no time
to stop, there are too many
lessons which need to be learnt

9 He’d seek me out “me” – her father would force

her to assist him, while he
stitched up an injured pigeon

10 When one of his pigeons “his” – her father is angry while

he stitches them up, he takes
care of them since they belong
to him. He shows concern for
them. This would be traumatic
for a little girl to see. Her
father is harsh and angry, but
his anger is directed to the
hunters & the hawks. She feels
the intensity of is anger, as if he
was angry at her.

11 -crazed for home or “- “Parenthesis L11-13 – the

pigeons are in a bad state
physically since they are injured,
but also mentally, since they are
afraid of death.

Personification – comparing a
pigeon to a crazy person, the
speaker stresses how unsettled
the pigeons are. Just like the
pigeons that were attacked and
have experienced trauma, so
can life attack a person @ the
most random times.

12
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
12 Mad with terror from a “terror” – extreme fear

13 Roaming hawk - “roaming” – moving aimlessly

over a wide area

Antithesis L10 + 13 – contrast

between the hawk & pigeon. The
bird of prey has full control, has
nothing to fear, but the pigeon
is scared and exhausted, as it
comes back to a place of
safety and refuge.

“hawk” – bird of prey

14 Would tumble into “tumble”- rush headlong in

uncontrolled way, filled with
fear. It means to be out of
control, filled with fear.

15 The loft “loft” – Pigeon coop

16 Mutilated by “mutilated” – disfiguring injury

caused by the beak of a hawk
or the wire trap set by hunters

Paradox L9+16 – The father is a

healer who cares about small
creatures like birds, yet he
exposes his daughter to badly
injured birds which must me
really traumatic. As to why he
does this, it is because he wants
to be cruel to be kind. He wants
to ensure that when harsh
realities hit, she will be able to
survive

17 Wire or beak “wire” – traps set by hunters

“beak” – hawks that have injured

pigeons

Synecdoche – only a part is

mentioned, but the whole trap
and hawk are implied.

18 I was the one made to Bold – Emphasises the harsh

cruelty she was exposed to

13
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
Tone of indignance and
annoyance, she is upset and
feels done in
19 Clench my palms round “clench” – strong verb @ the
beginning of a line to show how
anxious and terrified she must
have been while rigidly fixing her
hands around the bird’s chest

Contrast – She had to hold on

tightly so that the bird could be
stitched. There is contrast
between the action and the
intention, she had to hold on
tightly but at the same time
gently enough so that she didn’t
cause any more injury for the
bird.

20 Its pumping chest, Metaphor for hearts – 1. The

heart of the pigeon has
experienced trauma of an injury,
it is alive but scared, 2. The
heart of the speaker is
experiencing trauma, because
she is witnessing a terrible injury.

21 To keep it still while “still” – Quiet

22 My father’s hairy fingers stitched Alliteration “f” – emphasises

that the dad has performed
this “surgery” many times and
does it well.

“hairy” – Diction: creates the

impression that the father was
an imposing figure that has
authority (university
professor). She was watching
intently, she even noticed the
hairs on his fingers, she still
remembers all the small details.
This shows that this was such a
traumatic event for her, which
had a great impact on her. It
adds personal dimension to the
poem

23 Its garrotted throat Strong verb – it indicates the

damage the injury has done to
the bird’s throat (severe injury)

14
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
“garrotted” – killed by
strangulation using wire
24 Angrily to rights again. “rights” – he is fair, he wants
justice to prevail
“angrily” – father is angry at the
humans who set the traps, he
has a strong sense of justice. He
feels that life should be fairer.
His mission is to heal/fix things.

25 You see life is a fight for survival Theme of poem – we must

continue living despite of ordeals

Italics & lack of punctuation –

part of her make-up, she grew
up with this idea.

26 He’d shout, forgetting “shout” – he is not really angry;

he is just passionate about
justice for all and setting the
world straight.

“forgetting + L27” – The father

is an authority figure, larger
than life, he is used to shouting
and instructing his students. He
forgets he is talking to his
young daughter. He is addressing
her the same way he would
when lecturing his students at
university.
27 He was not lecturing his students
28 Or giving inaugural address “inaugural” – beginning of

29 You gotta roll with the punches Allusion to boxing terminology –

when a boxer leans away from
an opponent’s punch to lessen
the impact of the blow, it
emphasises that we must adapt
to difficult circumstances, he is
trying to prepare his daughter
to adjust and absorb the
punches that life will throw @
her.

Diction: the use of slang shows

that he is human, we must no
longer see him as cruel and
harsh

15
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
Tone is still one of caution, but it
is less threatening as he uses
slang which is totally unexpected

30 i waited and waited for the bitter “i” – Diction – lowercase – Little
girl emphasises vulnerability and
insecurity

Tone of thoughtfulness

Repetition – emphasises the

expectation that someday she
will receive a blow from the
universe. It slows down the pace
of the poem

Contrast – earlier there was

anger and commands were given,
now there is calm resignation
and a passing of time as she is
waiting for the calamity to
strike

Enjambement L30+31 –
emphasises that though times
are a part of our lives

31 Roughness to spy me and circle “Bitter roughness” – metaphor –

The poet is compared to a
pigeon and the cruel hawk is
compared to the calamities of
life. The harshness of life seems
to be watching & circling like a
hawk waiting for the right
moment to attack
32 In to land
33 Years and years Repetition – Reinforces the idea
of waiting for the unexpected
harsh blow to fall

34 Of flinching anticipation until “flinching” – quick nervous

movement, could be an
instinctive reaction to pain
“anticipation” – expectation

Oxymoron – “anticipation until” –

2 opposing words joined in a
moment of time, expectation
vs. finality. She is already
reacting to the blow she has yet
to receive.

16
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
Metaphor – “flinching
anticipation” – the expectation
of something bad going to
happen.
35 The day i came home from hospital. “The day” – metaphor – her
moment of pain arrives in a
form of cancer and her life
changes drastically. Her
operation is done and she comes
home. Just as home was a safe
haven for the pigeons, so will it
be for her. She will be safe here,
and it will give her a chance to
heal.

Lowercase I – antithesis – she is

not a little girl anymore, but she
is still as vulnerable as one, she
is in pain.

36 And my father dressed my wound. Stand alone line - it emphasises

the contrast between the
father who had always urged
her to toughen up and now he
has to toughen up and help her
through her recovery of breast
cancer and a mastectomy.

Antithesis – contrast in the

father’s behaviour before and
now.

Metaphor & Euphemism –

“dressed my wound” – for the
mastectomy. He was there for
the pigeons, now he is there for
her.

37 Easing with practiced hands “easing” – diction – slow, gentle

word

“easing” – tone changes from

one of caution to one of
resignation. He realises that she
has experienced her share of
toughness. He takes care of her
in a slow, methodical way.

“easing” – implies doing

something in a gentle manner, he
wants to set the world right

17
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
for her just like he did for the
pigeons.
38 The drip from my bulldozed chest Metaphor for the surgery,
which is just as violent as the
wire trap of the beak of the
hawk, that ruined the bird’s
chest. She had a mastectomy

39 He renewed the plaster in breathing silence Antithesis/oxymoron – contrast

in his behaviour then vs. now, in
the beginning he was outspoken
and loud, harsh, angry & shouting
man, now he is quiet and gentle.
The speaker can hear him
breathing in the silence as he
tends to her vicious wound.

Personification – Silence cannot

breathe

40 Never speaking never Repetition – it emphasises that

the father doesn’t speak @ all,
this is not the time for lecturing
or shouting, now is the time for
healing, physically & emotionally.
They both have to show how
tough they are.

Lack of punctuation L40+41 – we

read more slowly, trying to
figure out when we should
pause, this shows/reflects the
father’s patience and his slow
way of nursing her back to
health
41 Once saying
42 Life’s a bastard Enjambment L41+42 – These lines
are isolated from stanza 7

He doesn’t repeat these words,

because he realises, she has
received her share of
toughening up

Metaphor – it means life’s

challenges can be cruel, just like
cancer and the invasive surgery
are life-changing experiences

18
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

43 Toughen Up Capital letters – they emphasise

her determination to fight the
illness and to heal.

L42+43 – Antithesis – There is a

contrast between then and now.
Then, she would have heard
these words over and over
again, but now, we hear the
father’s words in her voice. She
can fight this battle because
her father has prepared her
for something like this her whole
life long.

Extra information about the poem

The expression “tough love” is relevant to the poem, since it means to be cruel to be
kind. It means to be hard on someone in order for them to benefit. The father expects
his daughter to stand up for herself and not come running to him for comfort when life
gets tough. It’s relevance to the poem is emphasised when the father has been
preparing her, her whole life for a bad situation, when it eventually comes in the form of
cancer, she is ready and tough enough to face it.

The conversational tone of the poem is set up by using no punctuation, the lines are
printed in italics, which emphasises that the words have become a part of her memory.
The enjambment through out the poem is used to show the father’s determination that
his daughter should toughen up. The run-on lines contribute to the sense of natural
speech.

The rhyme scheme is a free verse since there is no specific rhyme scheme, the stanzas
vary in length and the use of enjambment creates a flow in the poem.

Father’s relationship with pigeons: He cared deeply for them, he was angry when they
would return with injuries, he makes sure to help them recover by giving them stitches
and looking after them

L36 – the stand-alone line draws our attention to the words; she has come home from
the hospital. She has now toughened up, since he received a double blow from the
universe, cancer and a mastectomy. Now it is her father who should toughen up,
because he must take care of her.

A mastectomy is a surgery as violent as a bulldozer rumbling across the ground to

flatten it, her breasts have been removed and it must be sore.

The last two lines show that the father is a man of many qualities, since he is loud and
outspoken, he has devoted his entire life to prepare her for a bad event, now that she
had gotten the blow, he is quiet, he gently nurses her.

19
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

[ Inversnaid ]
By Gerard Manly Hopkins (1844 – 1889)

In L2-6 – there is a tone of light

About the poet heartedness
Modern poet Stanza 2 – Tone of despair, which
He used innovative rhythm which creates a dark and sombre (dark or
emulates natural speech called sprung dull) mood
rhyme. In L7 – change of tone: it becomes one
He made new words especially for this of foreboding, things will go terribly
poem (nonces or occasionalism) wrong.
Inversnaid is a stream in the remote Stanza 3 – Tone becomes one of hope
part of the Scottish Highlands on the and it picks up. Supporting a mood of
east bank of Loch Lomond appreciation of nature.
Written during the industrial revolution, Stanza 4 – Tone of urgency, pleading,
which ruined much of the countryside begging, creating a dark mood. The
Rich folks escaped to the countryside; speaker is wondering what would
Queen Victoria had a royal retreat happen if nature lost its beauty. Tone
called Balmoral (Queen Elizabeth II changes to one of desperation which is
passed away here in 2022) filled with intensity and emotional
Hopkins said that natural places should pleading, we should preserve nature.
be protected and they are essential to
man’s existence Themes
Natural Wonder
Structure Speaker is in awe of nature and its
4 Quatrains (4 lines in each stanza)
beauty, expresses this through newly
This is a lyrical poem consisting of 4
coined words and alliteration
quatrains and 2 rhyming couplets
Rhyme scheme – aabb ccdd eeff gghh Preservation of nature
Sprung rhyme is used: the rhyme Speaker is concerned about the
scheme, internal rhyme and the rhythm industrial revolution which might
of poem shows this. destroy nature.
Rhythm is made off of 4 stressed Speaker comments on man’s concern
syllables in each line with prosperity and disregard for
u/u//u/ or /u/uu/u/ (always 4 /) beautiful places.
Alliteration, assonance and repetition all The poem ends with a call to arms –
contribute towards the rhythm of the preservation of nature is everyone’s
poem, making it faster of slower. responsibility
Makes use of internal rhyme too.
Wildness
Tone and mood Natureis best when unspoiled by
Stanza 1– Tone is one of vitality and mankind
energy, which creates a mood of
movement and life. There is confidence
Peace
Purpose of life is to live as God indented
and certainty in his tone as the speaker
for us, living close to nature
convinces his fellow man that places of
such beauty should be preserved

20
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

Future It begins high in the hills and rushes

Speaker pleads humanity to preserve over rocks and eventually flows gently
nature for future generations to enjoy. into the lake.
The stream is personified as a man full
Depression and despair of power and energetic movement.
Although speaker celebrates the
beauty of nature, there is still a sense Stanza two
of darkness and despair, just like There are many pools filled with dark
anything caught up in the black waters swirling water which creates froth on
of the whirlpool, that is dragged down the surface
and drowned Those pools are dark and suggest

This feeling arises from the fact that despair and perhaps the destruction of
man won’t make the effort to care the natural world.
for, protect and conserve nature for
future generations
Stanza three
Dew sparkles on the banks beside the
stream where wild plants such as heath
Symbolism
The stream is a symbol of wilderness (short scrubs), ferns and ash trees
which must be left untouched grow.
Although the poem focusses on one
Stanza four
place, it symbolises all aspects of Itis a passionate plea that such
nature beauty should be left alone to survive

Summary Title
Stanza one Name of the stream in the remote part
A stream is rushing down the Scottish of the Scottish Highlands in the East
hillside to loch Lomond. bank of Loch Lomond

Nonces
New words coined for this poem (occasionalism) Line 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12

21
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
1 This darksome burn, horseback brown, Alliteration “b” – emphasises the
dark colour of the stream

Metaphor – The stream is

compared to a wild horse racing
down a hill

Darksome – dark & gloomy

Burn – stream

2 His rollrock highroad roaring down Personification – the stream is

compared to a male filled with
energy and vitality

Metaphor – the stream swirls &

tumbles taking rocks with it. It
raws down the main road of
rocks & lands in a coop

Alliteration – “r” – the hard

sounds emulate the sound of
the roaring water

Rollrock – water flowing over

rocks – one word for racy, quick
downhill path of water

Highroad – main road

3 In coop and comb the fleece of his foam Metaphor – foam & fleece –
foam is compared to the fleece
of a lamb. Water moves slower
here

Alliteration “c” – short quick

sound. “f + L” – light and fluffy,
these sounds represent small
dancing wisps of foam. These
lines are read faster with short
vowel sounds & internal rhyme.

Coop – hollow where water

swirls before moving on

4 Flutes and low to the lake falls home. L3+4 – Assonance “o”– the speed
of the racing water is like a free
& unrestrained horse which spills
into stanza 2 and turns into a o-
shaped whirlpool which despair is
drowned. The pace slows down in
Stanza 2

22
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

Metaphor – the foam looks like

long-stemmed glasses (here
used as a verb). The water
forms these lines as it falls into
the pool. The water is confined
to this narrow space. (coop L3)
before opening into the wider
waters of the lake

5 A windpuff-bonnet of fawn-froth Metaphor – The spray of water

as it falls into the stream
creates froth/foam at the top
and is compared to a ladies’
bonnet

Metaphor – the colour of a

fawn (brown) is compared to
the colour of the foam because
of dirt and rocks the water
rushes down its path

Alliteration “f” –

6 Turns and twindles over the broth Metaphor – the dark meaty
soup is compared to the stream
which feeds the world with life
giving water. Water is like a thick
soup, dark & deep.

Symbolism for all streams

across the globe

L6-8 – Alliteration – has the

same effect as onomatopoeia,
the diction adds to the gloomy
theme & the swirling motions
create an ominous effect. The
pool has become a black soup of
seething water in flood.

7 Of a pool so pitchblack, fell-frowning, “Fell-frowning” – usually means

foul/evil. The hills are frowning
fiercely

Personification – The hills look

down on the water & creates
shadows, they seem to be
frowning because the water is
dark, ruthless & cruel. The hills
stand like guardians of the
natural world.

23
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

8 It rounds and rounds Despair to drowning. Personification – Despair is

personified, since it is written
with a capital letter. It gives
the feeling of despair. It is like a
strong person being cooled
down. The speaker describes a
feeling of drowning when he
looks @ the water because
nature is at risk & physically
drowning.

Tone of despair & hopelessness

Repetition – emphasises a dark

and gloomy feeling &
onomatopoeia of the swirling
motions that produce an
ominous feeling.

L8 – it shows the shadows

where the water turns & turns,
this is where one could drown.

9 Degged with dew, dappled with dew Alliteration “d” – deliberate &
definite sound – It slows down
the pace & indicates how the
stream lost its urgency & is
calmly moving through the
heath and fernly hills. It sounds
like water falling. The leaves
have been dotted with dew.

Assonance – emphasises this

image (alliteration note)

Enjambment L9+10 – the stream

is flowing @ a calmer pace

Degged – Scottish for watering

a plant, like the spray of a
waterfall falling on nearby
plants

Dappled – marked with spots

10 Are the groins of the braes that the brook Personification – the stream is
treads through, like a person passing through a
narrow space @ a calm pace.
The sides of the seep bank
through which water travels is
wet with dew.

24
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

Groins – sides

Braes – hills

Brook – stream

11 Wiry heathpacks, flitches of fern, Alliteration L11+12 – The pace is

slower and more deliberate
because of the stream that is
moving at a slower pace.

Wiry – thin

Heathpacks – Scrub with small

leaves, with small pink and purple
flowers, this plant can
withstand extreme weather
conditions, it is considered a
symbol of GOOD LUCK

Flitches – patches

12 And the beadbonny ash that sits over the Personification – The ash tree is
burn. compared to a person sitting
next to the stream

Metaphor – The berries are

compared to beads

Assonance “ea” – it slows the

pace and lightens the mood by
the mention of colour.

Beadbonny – ash tree made

beautiful by its orange berries

13 What would the world be, once bereft L13-16 Alliteration – “w+L” – it
emphasises the call to arms. We
all have a part to play in the
preservation of nature.

L13-16 Assonance – “a, eo”

emphasises his anxiety

L13-16 Enjambment – function is

to draw attention to the
rhetorical question

Rhetorical question – It creates

a sense of uncertainty &
emphasises the speaker’s desire

25
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
for nature to be left alone.
What would life be without
natural places? Man should not
tamper nor interfere with
nature

14 Of wet and of wilderness? Let them be left, L14+15 – Inversion – Emphasises

how important it is that these
natural places are preserved.

15 O let them be left, wilderness and wet; O – sound – Is long and creates a
tone of despair, shows that
man is not going to fulfil his
task.

Them – wild, unspoiled places,

untouched by man

16 Long live the weeds and wilderness yet. L15+16 – Tone – the tone is like a
battle cry. A tone of triumph &
passion. The poem ends with an
appeal to protect nature. The
speaker’s emotion is intense and
pleading.

Metaphor for all plants, even

unwanted ones. Plants grow
where man has not interfered
yet. This shows that what is
natural is best.

Irony – this poem was written

142 years ago, and yet mankind
has still not listened.

26
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

[ Hard to find ]
By Sinesipo Jojo

About the poet Tone

At the start of the poem the tone is
Born in Port St. James, Eastern Cape, 1993
questioning and one of dissatisfaction
Began writing while a learner in school
The reference to the words playing a game
adds to the sense of frustration or
Structure
Lyrical poem, expresses personal thoughts disappointment in the poem
Tone changes to one of longing or
and feelings
Written in first person’s point of view
melancholy (sadness). Finding the right
Free/blank verse, no regular rhyme scheme words is a difficult process, the speaker is
5 stanzas
looking through the glass, searching for
2 sentences something that is not easily found
A series of clauses and phrases create a “Cloudy Lifetime” adds to the uncertainty

sense of progression and development in and the difficulty that the speaker
the structure experiences contributing to the overall
Makes use of repetition and parallelism (2
melancholic tone of the poem
sentences are balanced), this repeats the Stanza 5 has a tone of resignation and

idea that when words are needed the most, acceptance

they are the hardest to find.
The structure contributes to the theme of
Themes
difficulty in finding the right words to The struggle to express oneself
express one’s feelings, as the irregular and This poem suggests that it can be difficult
unpredictable structure mirrors the to find the right words to express your
speaker’s search for the right words feelings, particularly when it is strong
feelings
Title The relationship between words and
Refers to words that are difficult to find
(do not write hard to find in exam) emotions
The poet finds it difficult to understand as
Words and emotions are interconnected, with
to why the words are hiding the speaker’s heart feeling a sense of longing
Words of title is repeated in line 6
or sadness as it searches for the right
The poet works with words so she should words
be acutely aware of what they mean. Irony
Idea of communication and
is that words are often inadequate when it
comes to expressing exact feelings
understanding
The speaker hopes that their heart’s
message will be understood through the use
Message of words.
The poem looks at the way words come
freely at times, and hide when the poet Concept of time and change
really needs them. However, the core image The image of raindrops sliding gently down
is the description of the heart in the second the windows could be interpreted as a
last stanza. Perhaps the heart really metaphor for the passage of time or the
symbolises the poet, who is full of emotion. speaker’s emotional state

Theme of uncertainty
“Cloudy lifetime” suggest that the speaker’s life is
uncertain, or difficult, adding to the overall sense
of longing and sadness that are present in the
poem

27
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
1 Words are everywhere Metaphor – the form of
communication that we use
everyday
Words are abundant

2 Daily The single word line – emphasises

that verbal communication is as
every day thing
Antithesis L14 (refer to note)
3 We read them, and they fly out The poet includes the reader,
making the poem universal

Metaphor – words are

compared to birds/ something
that flies uncontrollably. Just
as birds fly away when they are
scared. The words come out of
our mouths easily when we are
angry

4 Like nobody’s business when we are provoked… Words are everywhere and they
are especially abundant during
arguments, when we become
angry, when we fly off the
handle.

Slang/informal English – it means

something done with great
intensity referring to our words
coming out of our mouths
quickly when we are angry

Provoked – when a person is

deliberately drawn into an
argument, words flow out,
unconstrained (to deliberately
stir up a feeling)

Ellipsis – it makes the reader

think about how easily we
respond with words when we are
provoked.

5 But there’s always something hard to “But” – Irony – this is the

understand… dilemma, words may come
easily, but not the right ones

“but” – introduces a change of

thought. Irony – words are
everywhere but, in some
circumstances, it is impossible
to find the right words.

28
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

“something” – the thing that is

difficult to
understand/confusing words
should help the speaker, but
they let her down.

Ellipsis – it indicates that an

explanation will follow of what
the speaker finds difficult to
understand (the words when
spoken. The fact that words
are sometimes difficult to find)
the line is like the answer she is
seeking, is open ended

6 They are hard to find They – the words

L3+6+12 – antithesis – “fly out”,

“hard to find” the contrast is
when we shouldn’t say
something we find words easily,
but when we should say
something, we cannot find words

Repetition of the title & “hard”

in L5+6, emphasises the
speaker’s difficulty to
understand why words are so
allusive.

7 When they are needed by the heart; They – the words

Symbol of the emotions

Personification – the heart is

personified as a person with a
specific need.

Synecdoche – the heart

represents the whole person

Semicolon – it refers to related

clauses with equal importance.
It’s a subtle pause as the next
line is directly tied to this one.
Clauses: 1. The heart needs
words, 2. Words hide when they
are needed

29
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
8 When the heart feels, Personification – the heart is
described as a person who has
feelings. It needs to be
understood. The heart is the
centre of the emotion.

9 Words hide like they are not part of life. Personification – the heart is like
someone who plays hide and
seek and doesn’t want to be
found.

Simile – words are compared to

something that is difficult to
find. They are like a person who
doesn’t want to be found. It
seems as if they don’t exist. We
don’t know what to say to
someone; we can’t find the right
words when we want to express
our feelings. It’s a lot more
difficult to say the right words
when we really want to or need
to. If words are not there when
they are most needed, they are
useless or dead to the poet.
(Comforting someone through
grief, telling someone that we
love them, to apologise after a
fight)

Tone changes from anger &

frustration to one of despair
and sadness

10 While words are busy playing some twisted Personification – words are
game given the human quality of a
person trying to trick someone

Complicated/having ulterior
motives/misrepresented –
something crooked or corrupt
or sick is implied. The game is
unfair and causes hurt like being
left out. Which means the poet
finds it difficult to find the right
words.

11 My heart looks sadly through the glass Personification – the heart is

windows personification as a sad person
crying, not being able to express
emotion.

30
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
Synecdoche – The heart
represents the person. (“my” –
the speaker is referring to
herself and her inability to
express her feelings

Metaphor – the eyes of the

crying person are compared to
glass windows. The windows
symbolise a barrier that is
formed between the person’s
feelings and their words.

12 As the raindrops slowly slide down, gently Alliteration “s” – Emphasises the
sadness the speaker feels
about her inability to express
her feelings through words or
poetry

Metaphor – raindrops are

compared to tears that are
flowing down a person’s cheeks

Inversion – the poet deliberately

places “gently” at the end of
the line to stress the
description of how slowly the
drops slide down

13 On a cloudy lifetime, L12+13 is connected, the rain

might be gentle, but it is
continuous & leads to sadness.
It seems as if it is never ending
– it refers to a sad period of
time

Metaphor - A time of sadness,

which is compared to an ongoing
cloudy day

Antithesis L3+6+12 – “fly out”/”

hard to find” – when we are
angry, we are quick to express
ourselves no matter how much
we hurt others, but when we
are hurting/sad, vulnerable, we
consider our words more
because we find it difficult to
express ourselves.

Cloudy – sad/bothered/brooding,
it links with the images

31
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023
“raindrops and clouds” to
indicate a sad mood &
atmosphere

14 Hoping that one day, Antithesis L2+14 – “daily”

becomes “one day” –
thoughtless words ae used
every day, but meaningful words
are what the poet wishes for
one day.

Tone of sadness and despair

15 Words will realize what my heart wants to say. Stand-alone - Line is separated
from previous stanza to
symbolise her feelings when she
feels isolated/separated from
other people, because the right
words aren’t there to properly
communicate her feelings.

Tone of hope, one day the poet

hopes to express her feelings,
with the right words at the
right time.

Full stop – Shows that this is the

end, basically making sure that
her wish will come true. (Like an
Amen after saying a prayer)

Personification – words are

personified as a person coming
to a realisation, when the words
“realise” what the heart wants
to say. She will be able to write
poetry and express herself as
she wishes to

Repetition – emphasises the

struggle to find the right words

Irony of poem – indeed the poet

has been able to describe her
feelings using words, yet the
poem is about not finding the
right words when describing her
feelings.

32
 Danelle Hamman Gr 12 Poetry 2023

Extra about the poem

This is a lyrical poem; the poet expresses her frustration about her inability to find the
right words. Words are personified throughout the poem

Basically, in a nutshell, when we are angry words come out of our mouths with great
intensity, but we may not mean them. In this angry state we do not mind that our
words may hurt others. But when we are hurting or are vulnerable, we think more
carefully about are words, and it’s more difficult to express our emotions.

In this poem, the poet explains that it is a lot more difficult to say the right things,
when you want to express a heartfelt emotion. The speaker repeats the word “hard” to
emphasise her difficulty to understand why words are so elusive (difficult to find). Her
inability to express her feelings, especially, to write poetry is causing personal sadness.

33